Chapter 3: The Change
"Man. That's crazy."
"I know it is."
"So. What happens next?"
"I'll tell you."
………..
The gang carried their pet into the hospital, and Darry got the doctor. They got a stretcher and took Johnny to the back. As the doctor was walking to the back, he muttered,
"Street punks."
Dally heard it and was about to go tell the doctor off, but Two-Bit grabbed his arm. Dally looked at him. He didn't have that look any more. He was worried just like everyone else. No one had ever been jumped this bad. No one in the gang.
Johnny could feel himself being rushed towards a room. He didn't want to open his eyes. It would probably hurt to do it. He was suddenly stopped. He felt tired. He thought he was going to die. Johnny cracked open his eyes. He wanted to take one look at the world before he left it.
He saw nurses and doctors over him. His mind flashed to when the socs were reaching down to get him. He closed his eyes.
Johnny woke up. He thought he was at the pearly gates. He opened his eyes. He didn't die. He was at the Curtis' house. He was in Pony and Soda's bed. Then where did they sleep? Johnny wanted to get up and see, but it hurt to move a muscle. He must have been in pretty bad shape.
He could move his head without any pain. The hospital probably took care of that. He looked at the door. Johnny cracked a tiny smile. Two-Bit was sitting on the floor leaned against the wall. Asleep to the world. There was an empty bottle in his hands. Must have drunk cases of those.
Johnny then heard footsteps in the hallway. Dally walked in and stepped over Two-Bit. He noticed Johnny was awake. He walked over to him.
"How you doing kid?"
"I-I'm fine," cracked Johnny. Speaking wasn't that easy for him.
"Need anything?"
"Uh-uh."
"Does anything hurt?"
"When
I move."
"Well….don't do that."
Dally then walked out of the room. Johnny looked at him. Leather jacket and everything. A New York street kid. Johnny admired Dally. He was real tough. He never got jumped. Johnny wanted that…..
Never been jumped. Jumped. That was a horrible experience. It was the worst thing that happened to him. They threatened him with everything. They nearly pulled off those threats. It was terrifying.
Johnny looked at the ceiling. That's never going to happen again. He wasn't going to let those socs get him ever. Not ever again. He was going to be like Dally. He never got jumped. He was going to be more than Dally. He wanted to make sure he had such a reputation that no one would even think about jumping him.
People with big reputation never got jumped badly. Dally was always walking around healthy. The same with Tim Shepard. Johnny wanted to be up there. With the respect. They were rebels. People that made others nervous when they see them. With that much respect, he would never be jumped again.
And his parents….That would make them think twice. His father would stop hitting him. His mother would stop yelling at him. Johnny lived in that house. They drove him out every other night. That was going to stop. He had the rights to live in that house.
People were pushing him too far. He had been a chicken this entire time. It was time for him to fight back. He wasn't going to be bossed around again. Not anymore. People would forget the old Johnny Cade. That old quiet, scared one would be gone. His Dad wasn't going to beat him again. Dally's old man wasn't on good terms with his son, and look at Dally. One of the toughest in Tulsa. He bet that if Steve's dad didn't make up with him by paying, Steve would have been the exact same as Dally.
Johnny's eyes were blazing. All that sadness was turning into rage. He only had the greasers to be friends with. His only family. His parents and the socs were the enemies. They had been his entire life.
"Johnny?"
Johnny calmed down and looked at the doorway. He was Soda's semi-worried face. Two-Bit was behind him getting up.
"You okay."
"I'm….okay."
"Okay. You looked a little...different for a second."
"I—it's nothing."
Soda scratched his back.
"Okay. Glad you're fine. Holler if you need something."
"Okay."